Women's Basketball | February 22, 2019

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle women's basketball team (4-23, 1-12 A-10) travel to Richmond this weekend to complete the season series with the Spiders (7-19, 4-9 A-10). Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday with the game airing on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING THE EXPLORERS:

• The Explorers have dropped their last three games, most recently falling to Saint Joseph's, 64-63, in the final seconds of the game. La Salle held a lead heading into the fourth quarter, however the Hawks were able to pull away. For the first time since 2010, five different Explorers scored in double figures.
• Over the last 11 games, the Explorers are shooting 41.2% from the field and 31.7% from long range. Both are better than the season averages of 34.4% FG and 25.1% 3FG. Given the increase in shooting percentage, La Salle is also scoring 59.4 points per outing over that span, which is 4.6 points better than the season average.
• At least one Explorer has scored a career high in points in 11 of the last 19 games.
• The Explorers are first in the A-10 in both steals (243) and steals per game (9.0). The 243 steals have La Salle ranked 57th nationally.
• Senior Jeryn Reese is the team's active leading scorer with 8.1 points per game. Sophomore Michelle Nicholls (7.9 ppg), junior Shalina Miller (7.7 ppg), and junior Sofilia Ngwafang (7.0 ppg), and are the next top scorers.
• On the glass, Reese (6.6 rpg) and Miller (6.2 rpg) are topping the team in rebounds.
• Miller is fourth in program history in blocks with 99 and is currently second in the conference in blocks (52) and blocks per game (1.9). Her 52 deflections also have Miller ranked 34th in the nation.
• Reese has been on fire as of late. The Mansfield, Ohio native has dropped 10 or more points in five of her last seven games, averaging 12.0 ppg over that span.

SCOUTING THE SPIDERS:

•  Richmond enters play at 7-19 overall and 4-9 in the conference, including 1-4 over its last five games. The lone win during that span was against St. Bonaventure, while the Spiders fell to Dayton, VCU, Saint Louis, and George Mason.
• Statistically, the two teams post very similar numbers. Both La Salle and Richmond are in the top three in steals and steals/game (La Salle first, Richmond third) and turnovers forced (La Salle second, Richmond third).
• The Spiders score just 52.5 points as a team, allowing 66.0 per game.
• Alex Parson and Jaide Hinds-Clarke are pacing the team in scoring. Parson averages 10.7 points and Hinds-Clarke is scoring 10.3 per outing.

LAST TIME THEY MET:

•  The Explorers and Spiders last played on January 26 of this season. Richmond claimed a 74-60 victory, thanks to a 24-10 third quarter scoring differential.
• Four different players scored in double digit totals for La Salle, led by freshman Shayla Sweeney with 11 points. Three others ended the day with 10 points.
• La Salle shot 43.9% from the floor on 25-of-57 shooting.
• Richmond hit 47.5% of its shots, including 47.6% from long range.
• Daijia Ruffin paced the Spiders with 20 points, while Jaide Finds-Clarke and Alex Parson added 14 apiece.

THE SERIES:

• Richmond holds the all-time series, 20-7, including 13 of the last 14 games.
• In the series that dates back to 1987, La Salle's last win came on the road in 2017.